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thoroughbred
thoroughbredadjectiveof pure or unmixed breed, stock, or lineage, as a horse or other animal; bred from the purest and best blood.
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Thoroughbred
Thoroughbrednouna British breed of horse the ancestry of which can be traced to English mares and Arab sires; most often used as a racehorse
thoroughbred
Americanadjective
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of pure or unmixed breed, stock, or lineage, as a horse or other animal; bred from the purest and best blood.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) of or relating to the Thoroughbred breed of horses.
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(of a person) having good breeding or education.
noun
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(initial capital letter) one of a breed of horses, to which all racehorses belong, originally developed in England by crossing Arabian stallions with European mares.
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a thoroughbred animal.
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a well-bred or well-educated person.
adjective
noun
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a pedigree animal; purebred
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a person regarded as being of good breeding
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thoroughbred
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Jockey Club, a thoroughbred registry and leading industry group, brought in consultants from McKinsey to help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
He received 100 thoroughbred horses and a Lexus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
Dale Romans, a thoroughbred racehorse trainer, has also made waves in the race since entering the primary in November, though no polling has been conducted that includes Romans.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2025
Barry Hills: British thoroughbred horse trainer had 3,181 winners in Britain and won four of the five British Classics at least once.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
The only thing to do right now is gallop like a thoroughbred as fast as your bike will possibly go, and race for your life.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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Fierceness finishes ahead of Preakness Stakes winner Journalism to win the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2025
“Journalism has been grand since the Kentucky Derby and trainer Michael McCarthy has greenlighted him to head to Pimlico for the 150th Preakness,” controlling owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners posted on X on Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2025
“Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners was the first outfit to send me horses and we’ve had a growing relationship ever since, a successful relationship,” McCarthy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025
Wellman left Team Valor to start his own ownership group, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, in 2011.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025
He said, “I can have anybody I want in my group”— implying that he didn’t want her because she wasn’t good enough—and he mentioned the great Thoroughbred stallion Secretariat.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.